The Golden State is often criticized as being unfriendly to businesses, so it’s reasonable to assume that the state would qualify as employee-friendly. But researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts have come to a surprising conclusion: California ranks in the bottom half of the 50 states in terms of worker-friendliness.
The researchers looked at the working environments in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. by analyzing data on average pay, employment opportunities, employee benefits, percentage of low-income workers, fair treatment based on gender, and the ability for employees to unionize. Each state was ranked on a scale of 1-100 in three categories: job opportunities, job quality, and workplace fairness. The ratings were then averaged to give the state’s total score.
California came in 33rd, with a total score of 51, although the state was ranked near the top(ninth) for workplace fairness. Delaware topped the list with a total score of 89; it ranked second in job quality, third in workplace fairness, and sixth in job opportunities. And the least worker-friendly state? Louisiana, which came out with a total score of 31 and a last-place ranking for workplace fairness.
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